La Crosse County, WI Sustainability Vision

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La Crosse County, WI, US

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Type: Policy

Status: Adopted in 2008

Source File: Click here

Text:

La Crosse County Sustainability Vision

  • 100% Carbon Neutral Energy
  • Top 10 healthiest counties in Wisconsin/US
  • 100% Waste Free
  • Impacts of decisions on grandchildren
  • Roofs with PhotoVoltaics
  • Weekly media “green series”
  • Lower annual traffic below expansion
  • Lower SOV
  • No more sprawl
  • Increase density
  • Education on sustainability for all employees, students, and citizens
  • Know carbon footprint
  • Cost is—be lowest in WI
  • Use Natural Step Framework as compass
  • Position La Crosse as regional center for green enterprises
  • Increase local food use
  • 10% annually
  • SustainLANE Top 20

Facilities

  • Shut off lights/signage
  • Reduce lawn
  • Internal recycling/centralized/convenient
  • Smart power strips
  • Carbon neutral fleet
  • Reduce electrical demand/high peak demand alert
  • Complete energy audits/incorporate results
  • Itemize/summarize results of actions
  • Increase stormwater management areas
  • Sustainability education/green clean
  • LEED certified/ equivalent buildings
  • P.V. solar hot water, etc. at facilities

Internal Education

  • Office sustainability coordinator
  • Training/orientation for new employees
  • Online sustainability training
  • Regular columns, newsletters, etc.
  • Recognitions/awards
  • Lead by example @ facilities and events
  • Labor/management
  • Plan to provide education (internal education plan)
  • Accounting system to measure savings (green thermometer)
  • Education for developers and public re: sustainable land use (win-win-win)

External Education

  • Regular columns in local newspaper
  • Op-eds
  • Radio, etc.
  • Savings reports - past history
  • Intergenerational involvement - involve schools
  • Our savings and yours - public/private
  • Personal success stories
  • Dedicate staff time for education (to provide)

Information Technology

  • Expand lifecycle to 7-8 years
  • Green standards for all IT equip. With life cycle costs considered
  • Power management for desktops/servers
  • Balance efforts to reduce paper/equipment
  • Promote electronic imaging/scanning
  • Basic education to reduce paper
  • Administrative officials training
  • More single devices that serve multi-uses (PDA’s, etc.)
  • Use technology to reduce transportation
  • Set default for two-sided printing
  • Tele-conferencing

Purchasing

  • Cradle to Cradle
  • Green power
  • Green products/definitions
  • Vendor standards/RFP
  • Life cycle/life cycle costs
  • Buy local program
  • Triple bottom line (TNS principles)
  • Preferences to TNS vendors
  • Share purchasing with others
  • Reduce packaging
  • Group purchasing
  • Promote State policies for Green purchasing
  • Product Stewardship
  • 100% post Consumered
  • Electronic credit/debit

Transportation

  • Land use/commuting education
  • Ride share
  • Transit pass
  • Incentives for carpooling, etc.
  • Encourage public transit in urban/rural
  • Tele-commuting
  • Full-cost parking
  • Bike-friendly (showers, storage, etc.)
  • Mopeds, alternative vehicles in pool for use
  • Financing for alternative vehicles
  • Financing for low-commute housing
  • Corridors for pedestrians/elec. vehicles/bikes
  • Car-sharing
  • Slugging
  • High-speed rail